1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices for interconnecting two objects and biasing each toward the other, specifically to a stretchable, adjustable support device for clothing shoulder straps which connects straps on opposite shoulders together and maintains them in a centrally located position between the wearer's neck and shoulders, thus preventing the straps from sliding over the wearer's shoulders. Applications may include, but are not limited to, use in supporting straps of brassieres, slips, camisoles, and swimsuits.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is known for persons wearing clothing with shoulder straps to occasionally have problems with the shoulder straps becoming loosened and sliding over that person's shoulders. The shoulder straps could become loosened if the garment having the shoulder straps is ill-fitting to the person wearing it. The shoulder straps could also become loosened if the person is wearing outer clothing having a waistband which allows the garment to slide upward when the person's arms are raised to an overhead position, but which fails to allow the garment to slide downward into its former position when the person's arms are lowered. The shoulder straps could also become loosened on a garment used for swimming, should its material stretch as it becomes wet. This is a recurring problem for people wearing garments with shoulder straps, a problem for which no successful solution has been found to date. The choice of not wearing clothing with shoulder straps is not a viable solution for most people, as most clothing with shoulder straps are fundamental articles of clothing, such as swimsuits, brassieres, and slips, and although alternative clothing is sometimes available, it is usually special purpose clothing which is more expensive and not always comfortable for everyday use.
If a person is wearing outer clothing over the garment having shoulder straps, at the very least, the sliding of shoulder straps over a shoulder becomes distracting, and may be uncomfortable in restricting movement of the shoulder and adjacent upper arm. Should the person attempt to remedy the situation by reaching inside the outer clothing to re-adjust the shoulder straps into their proper positions, it could become embarrassing for that person if seen doing so. Also, if the person is wearing outer clothing which is sleeveless over the garment with shoulder straps, or no outer clothing over it, the mere sliding of shoulder straps over the person's shoulder could cause a fundamental failure in the function of the garment and be embarrassing for both the person wearing the garment and others within view. Further, it is generally held to be unacceptable social behavior to display undergarments in public, even if such display is the mere sliding of an undergarment shoulder strap from beneath a sleeveless blouse and partially over a shoulder so that it is in general view by others.
It has been known for people wearing multiple garments, each having shoulder straps, to use small clipping devices for attaching together shoulder straps which are grouped together adjacent to the same shoulder, such as the shoulder straps belonging to a brassiere and a slip. A disadvantage of such clipping devices is that two or more garments having shoulder straps must be worn simultaneously by the person to allow their use. Such clips would not be functional when the shoulder straps of a single garment become loose enough to fall over a shoulder, which often happens. Also, such clipping devices would not necessarily prevent clipped shoulder straps from sliding over the shoulder of the wearer when the person is wearing outer clothing having a waistband, such as the waistband of a skirt, which allows the garments to slide upward when the person's arms are raised to an overhead position, but which fails to allow the garments to slide downward when the person's arms are lowered.
It is also known for people to use an elongated piece of elastic for encircling both shoulder straps of an article of clothing and connection means, such as a hooking device, to connect the elastic into a closed loop, the connection means being centrally located behind the wearer's back. One disadvantage of using such a piece of elastic and connection means is that most wearers, while wearing the garment having shoulder straps, are unable to form the elastic into a closed loop around the shoulder straps to bias the clothing shoulder straps toward each other and require help from another person in doing so. Also, such a biasing means is not adjustable. It is also known to have adjustable elastic means for connection between shoulder straps on an article of clothing which have a double-slotted end bracket on each of its ends for insertion therethrough of one of the clothing shoulder straps. Disadvantages of the adjustable elastic means is that its end brackets only allow insertion of small clothing straps, it is difficult to insert the end straps securely into the slots in each end bracket, and the clothing straps are known to become easily detached from such end straps. None of the known prior art devices has successfully solved the problems encountered with shoulder straps which have been described herein. It would therefore be useful, and it is not known, to have a support device for clothing shoulder straps which connects straps on opposite shoulders together and biases them toward each other to maintain them in a centrally located position between the wearer's neck and shoulders, thus preventing the straps from sliding over the wearer's shoulders. Such a support device would also be useful in solving another problem encountered by people wearing garments having shoulder straps. After extended wear some people wearing garments having shoulder straps experience a rubbing or binding of the shoulder straps against the same area of skin between the wearer's neck and shoulders, causing discomfort to the wearer. It would be useful to have a vertically adjustable support device by which to bias shoulder straps toward one another so that during extended wear the support device could be periodically adjusted for positioning of the shoulder straps across different areas of skin between the wearer's neck and shoulders.